1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a replenisher supplying apparatus for a photographic processor for processing a photosensitive material to which pieces of the photosensitive material are consecutively transported, so as to process the photosensitive material with optimum processing solutions by supplying replenishers stored in stock tanks to a processing tank by mixing them at an optimum ratio.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a photographic processor such as an automatic processor for processing a photosensitive material such as a photographic film, replenishing solutions or replenishers to be replenished to a developing tank and a fixing tank are prepared as undiluted replenishers filled in a cartridge are mixed and diluted. The cartridge is loaded on a solution pan.
The interior of the cartridge is partitioned so that a plurality of kinds of replenishers can be accommodated separately therein. At the same time, the solution pan in which the cartridge is loaded is also provided with partition walls and is partitioned into a plurality of filling tanks. Each of the filling tanks is provided with a pipe coupling. This pipe coupling is fitted to an end of a pipe. The other end of the pipe is connected to each stock tank, so that the filling tanks communicate with the respective stock tanks. For this reason, the solution levels of the undiluted replenishers in the filling tanks in the solution pan and the undiluted replenishers in the stock tanks are constantly made level by atmospheric pressure. Accordingly, as the undiluted replenishers are supplied from the stock tanks through each of electric pumps to the processing tank directly or to a mixing tank located upstream thereof, the undiluted replenishers are supplied gradually from the filling tanks to the stock tanks via the pipes, respectively.
When the undiluted replenishers in the filling tanks in the solution pan run short, the respective solution levels of the undiluted replenishers in the stock tanks drop. This drop in the solution level is detected by each level sensor when the level falls below a predetermined level, making it possible to ascertain the timing of replacement of the cartridge. Flow rates of the pumps are normally factory-adjusted before their shipment to ensure that the undiluted replenishers in the stock tanks will be supplied to the processing tank at fixed flow rates. That is, the pumps are so adjusted that the solution levels will fall below the predetermined values, simultaneously.
However, there are cases where the flow rates of the pumps for supplying the undiluted replenishers decline while the processor is used for long periods of time. The degree of the drop of the flow rates varies depending on each pump, so that the times when the solution levels in the stock tanks drop below the predetermined values do not coincide. This lack of coincidence results in an imbalance of the mixing ratio or concentration of replenishers, which leads to the problem that it becomes impossible to supply optimum processing solutions to the processing tank.